I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! Exclusive: Phillip Schofield and Sheree Murphy (2006)

Broadcast

LWT for ITV1/2, 25 August to 8 September 2002

Granada for ITV1/2, 28 April 2003 to 5 December 2005

ITV Productions for ITV1/2 (ITV Play for series 6), 13 November 2006 to present

Synopsis

Slow burning reality show which has ended up being a massive hit.

Originally eight, these days ten, celebrities are dropped off in some Australian bush where they must survive for two weeks. During the first week, viewers vote as to who should do the Bushtucker Trials. During the second week, they vote to keep their favourite in. The last one left is declared King/Queen of the Jungle and appropriately takes the lion's share of the money raised from phone votes for their charity.

Series 1 champion: Tony Blackburn

Life in the bush isn't terribly comfortable, the worst thing is the lack of food. Luckily for the contestants, food can be earnt. Unluckily for the contestants, this involves taking part in humilating, scary and just plain nasty tasks. During the first week, the celebrity that has the responsibilty is decided by the public. During the second week, it's either decided on a group vote or in later series' by the last person to be eliminated. Examples of Bushtucker Trials include:

Sticking your head in a perspex fishbowl which gets creepy crawlies poured in. And an eel, for some reason.

Transferring things from one side of a box to another whilst having 10,000 cockroaches crawl over you.

Lying in an underground pit for as long as possible which fills up with water and rats.

Grabbing stars in a swamp full of snakes and/or crocodiles.

The inevitable 'eat unappatizing things' challenge.

The cast of Series 2.

Actually the most fun one didn't involve any nasty creatures at all. Entitled 'Hell Hill', the four remaining contestants had to run up a muddy hill to four different positions. Whoever was in position when the time ran out would win a meal. However, as the game progressed, more watery surprises were added ending with a final tumultuous vat when the final person reached the top, making everyone slide down meaning a last gasp run to get back to where there were again. Very Takeshi's Castle.

SCREAM!!!

Every day two celebrities are sent out to find the Celebrity Chest. In it is a question. If they get it right, they win something useful to help their stay. If incorrect, they win something quite useless, usually an item one of the celebs had put their name to.

Face first Fash.

Crucially Ant and Dec, our hosts, understand the ridiculousness of the show and play this up at every opportunity. They provide the amusing links between the clips, referee the Bushtucker Trials and go into the camp to announce who has lost the vote at the end of each episode.

At its peak 13 million people were watching every night, and the C-List celebrities involved often get a lot of work afterwards.

Trivia

If an interview with The Guardian is to be believed, I'm a Celeb was originally intended to be a "serious sociological experiment" until Ant and Dec got on board, where they told producers in no uncertain terms how absolutely ridiculous that was. Hurrah for Ant and Dec!

From 2015 I'm a Celebrity is sponsored by Aunt Bessie's. Frozen foods store Iceland sponsored the programme between 2006-14, one of the longest brand associations on television. Prior to this, First Choice Holidays sponsored the three series during 2004 and 2005, and the energy drink V did the run in spring 2003. The 2002 series did not attract sponsorship.

In 2015, Thorpe Park opened an I'm a Celebrity... walk-through maze. Visitors to the theme park would traverse tunnels, corridors, and dark rooms to collect gold stars, as well as taking on other challenges simulating the show's infamous Bushtucker Trials. And before you ask, ahead of its launch, the park's director clarified that they didn't expect guests to eat the unsavoury items seen on the programme.